Alarm clock actuated electric switch



March 1, 1949. RORABAUGH 2,463,120

ALARM CLOCK ACTUATED ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 51, 1947 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 F12 FI u? 29 27 2 1g 28 ii Lj 12 2 0 26 4 A 1 23 m v E 15 g? in; 6 1/ 11 21 2 INVENTOR. MARTHA AHOHABAUG'H M. A. RORABAUGH ALARM CLOCK ACTUATED ELECTRIC SWITCH March 1, 1949. v

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1947 INVENTOR.

MARTHA A. RoRABAuGH "zm %wo Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALARM CLOCK ACTUATED- ELECTRIC WITCH Martha A. Rorabaugh, Wichita, Kans.

Application March 31, 1947', Serial No. 738,425

Claims. 1

This invention relates to an alarm clock actuated electric switch, and, principally, is for the purpose of turning off or on, selectively, an electrical appliance at a predetermined time as controlled by the setting of an alarm clock.

A further object of this invention is to provide an electric switch that is readily and removably applied to a conventional alarm clock without alteration of any component of the alarm clock.

A still further object is to provide adjustable connecting means for the switch when mounting the switch to an alarm clock so that the switch is adaptable to practically all types of alarm clocks.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a switch lever system that iseasily actuated by the motion of a conventional alarm winding key of a clock, which key rotates when the alarm is set off, said switch lever system. being meansto engage a standard electric switch structure for the opening and. closing of electric circuits, selectively and alternately.

A still further object is to employ a standard electric switch structure for thelever system, as above set forth, that is capable of carrying an appreciable amount of current, whereby the switch structure is void of burning its contact points at the time of engagementand disengagement of an electrical appliance.

A still further object is to provide an electric switch of the character described that is inexpensive to construct and efilcient in its performance, it being understood that the circuit maker and breaker, and referred to above as a standard electric switch structurais a standard switch and to which I make no claim. except in combination with the invention.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters will apply to like: parts in the different views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig; 1 is a rear View of a conventional alarm clock, and showing the application of an electric switch thereon, part of the switchs casing being removed for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the. switch corresponding to the: position of theswitch in Fig. 1, but having its casing removed, and switch lever disengaged.

Fig-3 is a transverse view of the switch from that shown in Fig.v 1, looking into the carrying means for-the. switclnand'showing. a portion of an alarm. clock;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 6-5 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram, illustrating a possible hook-up for a circuit controlled by the switch of my invention.

The invention herein disclosed consists of a switch carrying plate I having an extension 2 extending from one of its side edges, said exten sion being adjacent one end of the plate and lying on the same plane with the plate. Extending at right angle from the said side edge of the plate is a side wall 3 to function as part of' a casing later described. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the extension is provided with an arcuate notch A at its lower or inner edge, in which the shaft 4 of an alarm winding key 5 will seat as carrying means for the upper end of the switch carrying plate I. The other end of the plate I is retained by a spring-like fin er 6, said finger being adjustably'secured to a bracket 1 through the medium of a cylindrical element 8 that is bored diametrically to receivethefinger insertible therethrough, and being secured therein by a set screw 9 as shown in Fig. 6 threadedly engaging in one endof the cylindrical element 8. The other end of the element 3 is bored inwardly a spaced distance and threaded to receive a screw IE! as adjustable securing means for element 8v to the bracket l, whereby a predetermined direction of finger extension may be obtained. The finger at itsouter end has an arcuate seat B to receive'the alarmclocks alarm pullingstem I I on its under side, while the plate extension 2 engages its. winding shaft 4 at its upper side, by which means, the switch carrying plate is rigidly carried in parallelism with the back plate I2 of an alarm clock. It will also be seen in the drawings that the bracket '5 is likewise capable of longitudinal or vertical adjustment through the medium of a flange li-l extending at right angle from the bracket to seat upon the side wall 3 of the plate and. being secured thereby by screws l4 that extend through an elongated slot. I 5 in said flange I3 and threadedly engaging-intothe wall 3 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

By the adjustability of the bracket and its respective finger'fi, the switch carrying plate may be applied, practically, to any type of alarm clocks employing alarm winding keys, which are theactuating means for my invention- Furthermore. the switch carrying plate I may be easily removed from a clock by pulling the plate edgewise therefrom, the spring action of the finger providing disengagement from its respective clock stem, while the extension 2 may be raised vertically away from the key shaft 4. To replace the switch plate I, the finger at its outer end has an obliquely turned portion C to guide the stem into the arcuate seat of the finger. The finger 6 may engage protrusions other than the alarm pulling stem II, and in some instances, the plate, which is shown in the drawings vertically disposed may be slantingly or horizontally positioned depending upon the position of its alarm winding key and a protrusion on which will engage the spring-like finger 6.

Secured on plate I is a standard electric switch structure I6, box-shaped, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and functioning as a circuit maker and breaker, alternately. Said switch structure is provided with a press button IT for making and breaking circuits through the switch structure, said button confronting the wall 3 but being spaced therefrom. Extending from the opposite side of the switch from that of the press button are a plurality of binding posts I8, I9, and 20, having their respective electric wires 2I, 22, and 23, attached thereto. Binding post I8 will be considered herein as the common post, while binding posts I9 and will be considered as connections for two separate circuits. When the press button is disengaged, electric contact is made between post I8 and post 29, and when the button is pushed inwardly, the above contact engagement is broken to close a circuit between post I8 and post I9 for a different circuit, the purpose of said circuits being more later described.

To engage the press button I! is through the medium of an arm 24, that is positioned in contact with the button and being between said switch structure and the wall 3 of the plate I. Said arm 24 has one of its ends rigidly carried by a continuation of said arm from a side edge thereof as at D, another bent portion E lying on the switch body I6, and an upturned plate portion F that is rigidly secured to the switch body by bolts 25 extending therethrough. The free ,end of arm 24 is adapted to be moved to and from the switch body and being formed from spring-like material so that the same will bend from its fixed end to its free end during actuation of the press button of the switch structure.

The free or upper end of arm 24 has a roller 26 rotatably carried thereon by a pair of ears 2'I integrally formed on the arm, said roller being engaged by a lever to rock the arm inwardly for actuation of the switch structure. Said lever .consists of a web 28 that has one of its ends rockably mounted on the plate I by a bolt 29 and between a pair of self-retaining nuts 30 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and extending outwardly from the web 28 and integrally formed on its free end is a contacting plate 3I transversely positioned thereto so that the plate 3| will coincide in parallelism with the alarm winding key when the lever is rocked downwardly to set the same as shown in Fig. 1. Intermediately of the ends of the lever is a downwardly extending lip 32 that is integrally formed on the lever at its upper edge thereof, said lip engaging the roller to rock the arm 24 inwardly toward the switch structure I6. It will be seen in Fig. 1, that the lip has a slight slant from a vertical line to engage the roller beneath a horizontal plane extending through the turning axis of the roller, whereby the lever will be retained from upward rocking 4 movement until engaged by the rotation of the alarm winding key, the purpose of the roller being to provide for easy disengagement of the lever by the rolling action of the roller.

The switch is provided with a cover consisting of a plate G corresponding with plate I, a side wall H corresponding with side wall 3, an end wall J, and an arcuate wall K for the other end, said plate I and G and the side walls functioning as a casing for the switch, and being retained in their relative position by the bolts 25, extending through plates l and G and through the switch body I6 as positioned between the plates.

The electric wires 2|, 22, and 23 extend outwardly through the casing, at which point, a grommet 33 is inserted to protect the wires.

Fig. 7 illustrates a possible wiring circuit which may be employed, in which instance, a separate two-way switch of any standard type may have a common contact point 34 and two independent contact points 35 and 36, said points 35 and 36 being connected in a line circuit with a receptacle 31 and an electric plug 38. Thus, it will be seen, in said Fig. 7, that contact points I8 and I9 are closed to provide a circuit when an electric appliance is plugged into the receptacle.

The operation of the switch is as follows: The lever is set by rocking the same downwardly to move the arm 24 inwardly for pressing the switch button, in which action, contact is made between points I8 and I9, after which the appliance is plugged into the receptacle 31. By the manipulation of the separate two-way switch, the appliance may be turned on or left off, whichever is desired. For instance, should the appliance be turned on, the circuit therefor will be broken when the alarm clock winding key is set in motion, the time of which is controlledby setting of an alarm set element 39 of the alarm clock, whereby an appliance such as a food mixer, electric stove, or a radio may be turned off automatically by the switch at the predetermined set time. Likewise, the appliance may be at rest at the time of setting the switch and to be set in motion later when the alarm is actuated, in this instance, the two-way switch is rocked to provide contact between points 34 and 35 to open the circuit to said appliance.

While I have shown and described the invention specifically, I do not wish to be restricted to such details alone as the invention may be changed in proportion, materials, and exact arrangement of parts as is commonly practiced in manufacturing principles, and such other modifications may be made as lie within the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric switch for alarm clocks comprising a plate having extensions for readily detachably securing the plate to outward protrusions of an alarm clock, a switch structure carried by said plate, said structure having a press button to make and break an electric circuit, an arm contacting the press button intermediately of the ends of said arm, one end of said arm being fixed to the body of the switch structure, the other end of said arm being free to rock and having a roller journalled thereon, a lever having one of its ends rockably secured to said plate and being transversely positioned to said arm, the other end of said lever being positioned in close working relation to the alarm clocks winding key to be actuated thereby, said lever having a lip engaging the roller to inwardly retain the press button by the arm until the lever is actuated by the winding key.

2. In a switch for alarm clocks comprising a switch structure carried by an alarm clock in working relation to said alarm clocks winding key, said switch structure having a press button for actuation of said switch structure, an arm engaging the press button intermediate the ends of said arm, one end of said arm being fixed to the body of said switch structure, the other end being free to rock to engage and disengage said arm from the press button, a rockable lever carried in working relation to the free end of said arm and to an alarm clocks winding key, the free end of the arm having a roller journalled thereon while the lever has a lip to engage said roller for movement of said arm inwardly, contacting the press button and retain the same set until the lever is rocked by the winding key to disengage the lip from said roller whereby the push button is released to eifect an electric circuit through said switch structure.

8. In a switch including an alarn clock and its alarm winding key, a plate having end and side edges and plate portions extending from one of its side edges and being on the same plane as that of the plate, an adjustable finger carried by one plate portion, said finger and the said other plate portion having arcuate seats confrontingly arranged to engage their respective stem protrusions of said clock as carrying means for the plate, and a switch structure carried by said plate and having arm and lever means to disengage said switch at the time of actuation of the winding key.

4. In an alarm clock actuated electric switch comprising a switch carrying plate having a plate portion extending at right angle from one edge of the plate and lying on the same plane thereof, said portion having an arcuate notch in its inner edge to receive therein a shaft of an alarm clock winding key, a bracket secured to said edge of the plate and having a portion extending in the same direction as that of the plate portion, a cylindrical element adjustably secured to said bracket portion, a spring finger having one of its ends adjustably secured in the cylindrical element, the other end of said finger having an arcuate seat to receive an alarm clock stem, the notch and arcuate seat being means to readily detachably secure the switch carrying plate, a press button actuated switch structure and bolts to secure said structure to one side of the plate, an arm engaging the press button, said arm having one of its ends secured to the body of said switch structure, while the other end has a roller journalled thereon and being free to move in and out to engage and disengage the press button, a lever having one of its ends rockably mounted on the carrying plate, the other end being positioned in working relation to the alarm winding key, said lever having a lip contacting the roller for moving the arm to engagement with the press button and retain the same so positioned until the alarm winding key is actuated thus rocking the free end of the lever and causing disengagement of the lip from the roller and permitting the press button to move outwardly for effecting an electric circuit thereof.

5. In a switch of the class described, said switch being secured in working relation to an alarm clock and its alarm winding key, a plate having end and side edges and plate portions extending from one of its side edges and being on the same plane as that of the plate, an adjustable finger carried by one plate portion, said finger and the other said plate portion having arcuate seats to engage their respective stem protrusions of said clock as carrying means for the plate, a switch structure carried by said plate, an arm to actuate said switch structure, one end of said arm being fixed to the body of said switch structure, the other end of said arm having a roller journalled thereon, a lever having one of its ends rockably mounted on the plate, said lever being transversely positioned to said arm and having a lip extending therefrom to engage the roller for movement of said arm for actuation of the switch structure, the other end of said lever being positioned in close relation to the alarm winding key and being rocked thereby to disengage the lip from the roller, and likewise permit disengagement of the switch structure.

MARTHA A. RORABAUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,780,026 March Oct. 28, 1930 2,039,194 Simon Apr. 28, 1936 2,200,092 Madison May 7, 1940 

